Bradbourne Group Riding for the Disabled Association (Bradbourne RDA) provides therapeutic experiences on weekdays and evenings during term time for children and adults with disabilities and special needs through time around ponies, horse riding, and carriage driving.

We are an independent charity which receives no central funding.

We have no paid staff in any capacity and are run solely by a team of amazing volunteers, whom we train, who enable us to offer almost 3000 riding, driving and equine event activities a year to over 100 different people a year from the local area who have some form of physical or learning disability, or a complex combination of special needs.

For some people, our experiences are the only sporting activity indoors or to benefit from the fresh air in the Kent countryside outdoors with multiple social interactions open to them.

For those spending their lives in wheelchairs, riding or carriage driving provides a rare opportunity to be on a level or perhaps higher than other people, not looked down on or ignored by those around who are standing up over them as so often happens in day to day life.

In addition, our volunteers include those with special needs themselves, individuals who have experienced loss, young people trying to create a place for themselves in the world, as well as students undertaking the Duke of Edinburgh award scheme or more general work experience, all of whom benefit enormously from the social interactions of working within a supportive team environment, the exercise both inside and out across the fields, and calming time spent with our ponies.

At our base at Bradbourne Riding and Training Centre in Sevenoaks, Kent we have access to acres of fields and woodland and an indoor arena.  All our ponies are suitable in age and temperament and have been carefully selected for RDA work.